Patents by Inventor James F. McGehee
James F. McGehee has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 11248175Abstract: An improved contactor/separator process is presented where one or more stages of contact and separation is achieved by providing one or more shroud and disengagement device combinations within a vessel, where the disengagement device is connected to the top of the shroud that contains vertically hanging fibers. A liquid admixture of immiscible fluids is directed co-currently upward through the shroud at flooding velocity or greater, where all of the admixture exits the disengagement device through a coalescing material. Tray supports are used to stack additional shroud and disengagement combinations vertically within the vessel. Each tray allows less dense liquids exiting one disengagement device from a lower shroud and disengagement device combination to enter the bottom of a shroud of a shroud and disengagement device combination position vertically above the lower shroud and disengagement device combination.Type: GrantFiled: November 4, 2020Date of Patent: February 15, 2022Assignee: MERICHEM COMPANYInventors: James F. McGehee, Jeffrey B. Gomach, Baisheng Zou
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Publication number: 20210047572Abstract: An improved contactor/separator process is presented where one or more stages of contact and separation is achieved by providing one or more shroud and disengagement device combinations within a vessel, where the disengagement device is connected to the top of the shroud that contains vertically hanging fibers. A liquid admixture of immiscible fluids is directed co-currently upward through the shroud at flooding velocity or greater, where all of the admixture exits the disengagement device through a coalescing material. Tray supports are used to stack additional shroud and disengagement combinations vertically within the vessel. Each tray allows less dense liquids exiting one disengagement device from a lower shroud and disengagement device combination to enter the bottom of a shroud of a shroud and disengagement device combination position vertically above the lower shroud and disengagement device combination.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 4, 2020Publication date: February 18, 2021Inventors: James F. McGehee, Jeffrey B. Gomach, Baisheng Zou
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Patent number: 10858597Abstract: An improved contactor/separator process is presented where one or more stages of contact and separation is achieved by providing one or more shroud and disengagement device combinations within a vessel, where the disengagement device is connected to the top of the shroud that contains vertically hanging fibers. A liquid admixture of immiscible fluids is directed co-currently upward through the shroud at flooding velocity or greater, where all of the admixture exits the disengagement device through a coalescing material. Tray supports are used to stack additional shroud and disengagement combinations vertically within the vessel. Each tray allows less dense liquids exiting one disengagement device from a lower shroud and disengagement device combination to enter the bottom of a shroud of a shroud and disengagement device combination position vertically above the lower shroud and disengagement device combination.Type: GrantFiled: March 20, 2020Date of Patent: December 8, 2020Assignee: MERICHEM COMPANYInventors: James F. McGehee, Jeffrey B. Gomach, Baisheng Zou
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Publication number: 20200216761Abstract: An improved contactor/separator process is presented where one or more stages of contact and separation is achieved by providing one or more shroud and disengagement device combinations within a vessel, where the disengagement device is connected to the top of the shroud that contains vertically hanging fibers. A liquid admixture of immiscible fluids is directed co-currently upward through the shroud at flooding velocity or greater, where all of the admixture exits the disengagement device through a coalescing material. Tray supports are used to stack additional shroud and disengagement combinations vertically within the vessel. Each tray allows less dense liquids exiting one disengagement device from a lower shroud and disengagement device combination to enter the bottom of a shroud of a shroud and disengagement device combination position vertically above the lower shroud and disengagement device combination.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 20, 2020Publication date: July 9, 2020Inventors: James F. McGehee, Jeffrey B. Gomach, Baisheng Zou
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Patent number: 10633599Abstract: An improved contactor/separator process is presented where one or more stages of contact and separation is achieved by providing one or more shroud and disengagement device combinations within a vessel, where the disengagement device is connected to the top of the shroud that contains vertically hanging fibers. A liquid admixture of immiscible fluids is directed co-currently upward through the shroud at flooding velocity or greater, where all of the admixture exits the disengagement device through a coalescing material. Tray supports are used to stack additional shroud and disengagement combinations vertically within the vessel. Each tray allows less dense liquids exiting one disengagement device from a lower shroud and disengagement device combination to enter the bottom of a shroud of a shroud and disengagement device combination position vertically above the lower shroud and disengagement device combination.Type: GrantFiled: January 12, 2018Date of Patent: April 28, 2020Assignee: MERICHEM COMPANYInventors: James F. McGehee, Jeffrey B. Gomach, Baisheng Zou
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Patent number: 10518194Abstract: In an improved fiber-film type contactor/separator an enhanced coalescing zone is provided by the presence of a disengagement device connected to a shroud that contains a bundle of high surface area vertical hanging fibers, where the enhanced coalescing zone diverts a portion of an admixture of immiscible liquids to flow radially in a path not parallel to the vertical axis of the hanging fibers whereby the diverted portion of liquids contacts a coalescing surface to cause at least one of the liquids to coalesce into droplets. The immiscible liquids are allowed to settle into separate phase layers and first and second outlets selectively remove the higher density liquid from the lower density liquid.Type: GrantFiled: March 4, 2019Date of Patent: December 31, 2019Assignee: MERICHEM COMPANYInventors: James F. McGehee, Tiejun Zhang
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Publication number: 20190218462Abstract: An improved contactor/separator process is presented where one or more stages of contact and separation is achieved by providing one or more shroud and disengagement device combinations within a vessel, where the disengagement device is connected to the top of the shroud that contains vertically hanging fibers. A liquid admixture of immiscible fluids is directed co-currently upward through the shroud at flooding velocity or greater, where all of the admixture exits the disengagement device through a coalescing material. Tray supports are used to stack additional shroud and disengagement combinations vertically within the vessel. Each tray allows less dense liquids exiting one disengagement device from a lower shroud and disengagement device combination to enter the bottom of a shroud of a shroud and disengagement device combination position vertically above the lower shroud and disengagement device combination.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 12, 2018Publication date: July 18, 2019Inventors: James F. McGehee, Jeffrey B. Gomach, Baisheng Zou
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Publication number: 20190192995Abstract: In an improved fiber-film type contactor/separator an enhanced coalescing zone is provided by the presence of a disengagement device connected to a shroud that contains a bundle of high surface area vertical hanging fibers, where the enhanced coalescing zone diverts a portion of an admixture of immiscible liquids to flow radially in a path not parallel to the vertical axis of the hanging fibers whereby the diverted portion of liquids contacts a coalescing surface to cause at least one of the liquids to coalesce into droplets. The immiscible liquids are allowed to settle into separate phase layers and first and second outlets selectively remove the higher density liquid from the lower density liquid.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 4, 2019Publication date: June 27, 2019Inventors: James F. McGehee, Tiejun Zhang
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Patent number: 10300407Abstract: In an improved fiber-film type contactor/separator an enhanced coalescing zone is provided by the presence of a disengagement device connected to a shroud that contains a bundle of high surface area vertical hanging fibers, where the enhanced coalescing zone diverts a portion of an admixture of immiscible liquids to flow radially in a path not parallel to the vertical axis of the hanging fibers whereby the diverted portion of liquids contacts a coalescing surface to cause at least one of the liquids to coalesce into droplets. The immiscible liquids are allowed to settle into separate phase layers and first and second outlets selectively remove the higher density liquid from the lower density liquid.Type: GrantFiled: April 12, 2017Date of Patent: May 28, 2019Assignee: MERICHEM COMPANYInventors: James F. McGehee, Tiejun Zhang
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Publication number: 20170216741Abstract: In an improved fiber-film type contactor/separator an enhanced coalescing zone is provided by the presence of a disengagement device connected to a shroud that contains a bundle of high surface area vertical hanging fibers, where the enhanced coalescing zone diverts a portion of an admixture of immiscible liquids to flow radially in a path not parallel to the vertical axis of the hanging fibers whereby the diverted portion of liquids contacts a coalescing surface to cause at least one of the liquids to coalesce into droplets. The immiscible liquids are allowed to settle into separate phase layers and first and second outlets selectively remove the higher density liquid from the lower density liquid.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 12, 2017Publication date: August 3, 2017Inventors: James F. McGehee, Tiejun Zhang
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Patent number: 9656185Abstract: In an improved fiber-film type contactor/separator an enhanced coalescing zone is provided by the presence of a disengagement device connected to a shroud that contains a bundle of high surface area vertical hanging fibers, where the enhanced coalescing zone diverts a portion of an admixture of immiscible liquids to flow radially in a path not parallel to the vertical axis of the hanging fibers whereby the diverted portion of liquids contacts a coalescing surface to cause at least one of the liquids to coalesce into droplets. The immiscible liquids are allowed to settle into separate phase layers and first and second outlets selectively remove the higher density liquid from the lower density liquid.Type: GrantFiled: July 11, 2012Date of Patent: May 23, 2017Assignee: MERICHEM COMPANYInventors: James F. McGehee, Tiejun Zhang
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Patent number: 9284494Abstract: The recovery of solids, and particularly solid particulates used as catalysts in slurry hydroprocessing, from asphaltene containing hydrocarbons is improved by controlling asphaltene precipitation. The formation of agglomerates of the solid particulates, having an increased diameter, results in the presence of precipitated asphaltenes, possibly due to flocculation. Asphaltene precipitation is controlled by varying process parameters or introducing additional diluent or flush streams that change the polarity of an asphaltene containing liquid product recovered from an effluent of a slurry hydroprocessing reaction zone.Type: GrantFiled: November 15, 2008Date of Patent: March 15, 2016Assignee: UOP LLCInventors: Lorenz J. Bauer, Tom N. Kalnes, James F. McGehee
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Patent number: 9074143Abstract: Slurry hydrocracking a heavy hydrocarbon feed produces a HVGO stream and a pitch stream. At least a portion of the pitch stream is subjected to SDA to prepare a DAO stream low in metals. The DAO is blended with at least a portion of the HVGO stream to provide turbine or marine fuel with acceptable properties for combustion in gas turbines or for marine fuel grades.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 2009Date of Patent: July 7, 2015Assignee: UOP LLCInventors: James F. McGehee, Lorenz J. Bauer
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Patent number: 8999879Abstract: One exemplary embodiment can be a process for making a catalyst including an effective amount of iron for catalyzing one or more reactions in a hydrocarbon conversion system. The process can include grinding and coating the particles. The ground particles can have an effective amount of iron, and substantially all the particles may have a maximum dimension no larger than about 130 microns. The coating can have an effective amount of one or more hydrocarbons to provide the catalyst with improved flowability.Type: GrantFiled: February 8, 2013Date of Patent: April 7, 2015Assignee: UOP LLCInventors: Lorenz J. Bauer, James F. McGehee
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Patent number: 8906230Abstract: An integrated unit operations for the treatment of a waste stream, such as spent caustic, is provided in a single vertical vessel having at least three separate zones: a mixing, a settling, and a mass transfer zone.Type: GrantFiled: September 18, 2012Date of Patent: December 9, 2014Assignee: Merichem CompanyInventors: Tom Varadi, Marie-Cecile Medine, Arturo Ramon Puigbo, Ramiro G. Vazquez, Tiejun Zhang, James F. McGehee
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Patent number: 8888992Abstract: A process for improving flow properties of crude may include processing a first crude stream, which may in turn include cracking the first crude stream with fresh catalyst to form a cracked stream and spent catalyst, and then mixed with an unprocessed second stream. The spent catalyst may be regenerated to form fresh catalyst, which may then be recycled. At least part of the cracked stream may be mixed with a second crude stream. A ratio of the second crude stream to the first crude stream may be between about 0.5:1 and about 9:1. A ratio of part of the cracked stream to add to the second crude stream may be selected to achieve a API gravity of at least about 18. The first crude stream may be heated and stripped before being cracked.Type: GrantFiled: August 9, 2005Date of Patent: November 18, 2014Assignee: UOP LLCInventors: Brian W. Hedrick, James F. McGehee, Selman Z. Erisken, Jibreel A. Qafisheh
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Publication number: 20140014593Abstract: In an improved fiber-film type contactor/separator an enhanced coalescing zone is provided by the presence of a disengagement device connected to a shroud that contains a bundle of high surface area vertical hanging fibers, where the enhanced coalescing zone diverts a portion of an admixture of immiscible liquids to flow radially in a path not parallel to the vertical axis of the hanging fibers whereby the diverted portion of liquids contacts a coalescing surface to cause at least one of the liquids to coalesce into droplets. The immiscible liquids are allowed to settle into separate phase layers and first and second outlets selectively remove the higher density liquid from the lower density liquid.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 11, 2012Publication date: January 16, 2014Applicant: Merichem CompanyInventors: James F. McGehee, Tiejun Zhang
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Patent number: 8540870Abstract: A process is disclosed for converting heavy hydrocarbon feed into lighter hydrocarbon products. The heavy hydrocarbon feed is slurried with a particulate solid material to form a heavy hydrocarbon slurry and hydrocracked in a slurry hydrocracking unit to produce vacuum gas oil (VGO) and pitch. A first vacuum column separates VGO from pitch, and a second vacuum column further separates VGO from pitch. As much as 15 wt-% of VGO can be recovered by the second vacuum column and recycled to the slurry hydrocracking unit. A pitch composition is obtained which can be made into particles and transported without sticking together.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2009Date of Patent: September 24, 2013Assignee: UOP LLCInventors: James F. McGehee, David N. Myers, Mark Van Wees, Paul R. Zimmerman, Ruth Buskus Kleinworth
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Patent number: 8470251Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for converting heavy hydrocarbon feed into lighter hydrocarbon products. The heavy hydrocarbon feed is slurried with a particulate solid material to form a heavy hydrocarbon slurry and hydrocracked in a slurry hydrocracking unit to produce vacuum gas oil (VGO) and pitch. A first vacuum column separates VGO from pitch, and a second vacuum column further separates VGO from pitch. As much as 15 wt-% of VGO can be recovered by the second vacuum column and recycled to the slurry hydrocracking unit. A pitch composition is obtained which can be made into particles and transported without sticking together.Type: GrantFiled: May 16, 2012Date of Patent: June 25, 2013Assignee: UOP LLCInventors: James F. McGehee, David N. Myers, Mark Van Wees, Paul R. Zimmerman, Ruth Buskus Kleinworth
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Patent number: 8372773Abstract: One exemplary embodiment can be a process for making a catalyst including an effective amount of iron for catalyzing one or more reactions in a hydrocarbon conversion system. The process can include grinding and coating the particles. The ground particles can have an effective amount of iron, and substantially all the particles may have a maximum dimension no larger than about 130 microns. The coating can have an effective amount of one or more hydrocarbons to provide the catalyst with improved flowability.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 2009Date of Patent: February 12, 2013Assignee: UOP LLCInventors: Lorenz J. Bauer, James F. McGehee